Interlace
by The Percipient
Summary: Natsuki, haunted by a dark past, transfers to Fuka in search of being normal. In reality, she's anything but. What happens when a certain kyoto beauty takes interest in her? Will the lone wolf finally make friends? Or will her past become her present?
1. Prologue

**Hello. This is my first fanfiction here, so please, treat me kindly. It involves one Natsuki and, as you can probably guess, a certain, ruby-eyed Shizuru. Separate they are interesting. The meeting of the two? Much more so. For the purposes of this story, I call it- their collision -Interlace. There's romance, dark elements, angst, and even some action. You'll have to read to find out just how much. Hope it pleases.**

***I don't own Mai Hime, or any subsequent characters from the series/anime. Anything else, however, is mine, including any OOC-ness/OCs in general. Let the fun and games begin.**

* * *

-Prologue-

Slight Dilemma

Kuga Natsuki was many things. Stubborn, unfortunately, just happened to be one of them.

"I'm not going."

The bold declaration, professed by the sullen, azure haired teenager herself, was met with a weary sigh from her companion in the driver's seat. They'd had this conversation countless times before, Yamada noted wearily, and if it weren't for the headache he could feel descending upon him with a ferocious intensity, he'd be impressed by her pure tenacity. As it was, he simply grew irritated.

"You don't have a choice," he told her bluntly, running the fingers of one hand through his tight curls pensively (a nervous habit he'd picked up ages ago) while he used the other to steer. "You're going."

He wasn't surprised in the least when his statement was greeted with vehement protests. This was Natsuki they were talking about.

Protesting anything and everything was in her nature.

"But I _hate _school!" the teen cried out, slamming a fist down onto the leather seat beside her. The contact was muffled by the softness of the material, but still conveyed the young girl's (in her mind, justified) rage. "Its for the mindless and the weak! I hate it!"

_Who needs it anyway? _She inwardly sneered, teeth grinding together as she clamped her jaw shut. _Dammit, __I can learn more in the real world than some stuffy classroom. Fuck this!_

Emerald eyes flashed as they shot Yamada a dark look through the review mirror, though Yamada, having raised the girl as his own for close to three years now, was hardly fazed by the famous Kuga death glare. It had looked more ominous on her father, perhaps because the malicious intent behind it had been real.

His fingers clenched involuntarily around the steering wheel as memories abruptly seized him in their relentless grip, but it only lasted for a moment before he caught himself and forcibly relaxed. Slowly he exhaled through his nose, once again barely repressing the urge to sigh. It had been a long day and at this rate, it looked like it was only going to get longer.

"Its required, and you _will _go," he informed the young girl, allowing a thread of steel to enter his voice, one that said in no uncertain terms 'I mean business.' His brown eyes, facing forward, hardened imperceptibly. "Even if I have to drag you there myself, kicking and screaming."

When he was greeted with nothing but silence, Yamada chanced another glance in the mirror. Natsuki was still scowling, her thin arms crossed in obvious anger over her chest and her eyebrows furrowed as she glared menacingly at the floor of the car. He pinched the bridge of his nose and tried again.

"Natsuki."

It took her a moment but she looked up at him, resentment burning brightly in her vibrant gaze. It almost made Yamada smile. She was a spitfire, his Natsuki. No one could deny that.

He shifted in his seat and addressed her again.

"I'm sorry."

Green eyes widened in something akin to shock. Clearly an apology had not been expected.

_Then again, Natsuki would know all about unapologetic cruelty, wouldn't she?_

Forcing the thought away, Yamada returned his gaze to the road before continuing. "I know you don't like school."

_Or people, for that matter._

"I know that... structure, we'll say, is hard for you."

_And listening to anyone who tells you to do anything. _

"But its important. Its necessary. Natsuki," he told her earnestly, "I wouldn't make you do it if it wasn't."

And he wouldn't. He was all too aware of her past and her feelings toward authority figures. He would let her avoid school altogether if he thought it would help her. But it wouldn't. And they needed to face that, sooner rather than later.

"Tsuki," he pressed, using his pet name for her, "you know I love you as if you were my own."

Again Natsuki didn't say anything, but Yamada could have sworn, casting her another quick look, that he saw something around her eyes soften; something fall behind that hard mask of perpetual adolescent anger, and it gave him the strength to move on.

"_We_ need to do this," he said quietly. "_You _need to do this. I know it sucks-" his tone, as he said this, was flippant, all too obvious in its attempt to elicit a smile, but Natsuki's face remained carefully blank and he pressed on, regardless "-but I'm trying to do what's best for you. For both of us," he amended. "I need to leave and find out... well, all I can."

He was careful not to say more than that, knowing it would only set both him and Natsuki off down a dark path of recollection (which they certainly didn't need) so he skimmed over the details and added, "And you need to keep your head down. Blend in."

Anticipating her argument, he cut her off before she could begin. "I'm not saying you have to listen to what everyone says. You know I've always wanted you to be yourself. But just... try to get along with people, okay? It might not be as bad as you think."

_A__ little bit of normal in your life for once... I don't think it could hurt. "_I'll be back before you know it but until then, do your best to keep out of trouble. Okay kid?"

It was quiet for a long, tense moment. Natsuki sat almost unnaturally still in the backseat, silently mulling over all that had been said, while Yamada continuously glanced back at her in a nervous manner, thick fingers returning to his mess of a hairdo. In his eyes this was the big test. If Natsuki agreed, she was ready, (_possibly, _he silently acknowledged) to be on her own- and not cause trouble. If not, it would seriously screw up Yamada's plans for finding _him. _

Yamada shuddered slightly in disgust and anger, but again pushed his emotions aside. Now was not the time for them. Instead, he waited as patiently as he could for Natsuki's reply, though he felt unnecessarily antsy as he did, thick fingers fidgeting and sweat coating his palms in a slick sheen. Finally, after several, strained heartbeats on Yamada's part, Natsuki shrugged.

"Okay," she agreed, throwing her back against her seat with an overly dramatic, exasperated sigh. "I'll try."

She emphasized this last little bit, but it was the first word that passed her lips, that okay, that Yamada paid attention too. In response, a small grin of relief broke over her guardian's features.

_Thank you God, _he thought feverishly, sending a quick prayer to an unearthly presence he wasn't all too sure he believed in._ Thank you!_

He cast his misgivings aside- whatever trepiditions and internal anxieties he might be facing -in favor of being thankful for this small, but no less important, step Natsuki had taken. As if to reward her (though she was too preoccupied with her thoughts to be aware of his own) he sent her a wink through the review mirror. "That's all I ask."

* * *

**Okay, so that's the end of the short (not very revealing) prologue. Looks like Natsuki's going to school. Can you guess where?**

**Reviews are appreciated- they let me know I should continue. Thanks, hope you liked.**


	2. Chapter 1: Detention

**Hola. I am back- fairly soon, I might add, it being the weekend and me being a procrastinator toward school work -with the second (well, technically first) chapter. Natsuki goes to school and she's not exactly happy about it. Maybe someone can brighten her day? Then again, maybe not...**

**A special thanks to raiet, Wolvenkite, Titpom1, ShadowCub, Turtlepop, venz07, and Krugen for the reviews. I'm glad you guys are interested and can only hope you remain so as the story continues ^^  
**

**Now, lez get crackin'!  
**

* * *

-Chapter 1-

Detention

Yamada was an ass. No doubt about it. The next time Natsuki saw him, he was going to get a beating.

_Goddamn Fuka. Since when do they make schools so big?_

Not that she would know, having been absent from them for most of her life.

Still, it was all Natsuki could do to keep from sweeping out the ankles of the noisy blond who stood bellowing at her in the student square for all to see. Spittle flew from her mouth in little globs as she launched into a tirade about timeliness or cleanliness or orderliness- Natsuki wasn't quite sure which, seeing as she wasn't really paying attention . It took all of her concentration to prevent herself from snarling. As it was she simply kept her mouth shut and trained her fixedly bored stare on the sky above her, hands shoved deep in the pockets of her jeans.

_This is bullshit, _the fuming teen silently acknowledged, her accuser's words slipping through one ear and out the other even as the resounding ruckus of them remained behind, causing her brain to throb in a dull ache against the clamor. She gritted her teeth in annoyance. _Complete and utter bullshit. Who yells at a transfer student for being late to class- and, in the process, makes them even__ later?_

It wasn't like she knew where she was going, especially with the school being so fucking huge.

Recognizing her growing rage, Natsuki attempted to look for the good in the situation, as Yamada had taught her. It was a practice she in particular struggled with, yet one her guardian was convinced she would need in the long run especially with her goal of "blending in."

Well, she mused (continuously oblivious to the words being hurled at her in a barely perceptible decibel) it was testing her control so maybe, in a way, she could be thankful for that.

Inwardly she snorted as her mind drifted to her godfather and his words of wisdom.

_"Think of it as practice_," _Yamada had drilled, looking at her solemnly over his round spectacles. They'd had this debate more than once, Natsuki remembered, about every time Fuka or the word school had come up, Natsuki firmly protesting the notion of either and Yamada just as firmly refuting her protests.__ "You need to learn how to control your temper." He chuckled wryly, for a moment belaying the seriousness of the situation.__ "Not everyone is going to be as forgiving as me- or as well prepared -if you throw a punch at them."_

Taking her guardian's words to heart, Natsuki quietly blanked her mind and forced her tense shoulders to unwind somewhat as she came back to the present.

"-And not even wearing the school uniform, no less! It's downright shameful!"

When the blond paused- presumably for a breath of air –Natsuki, having retained some control, chanced a glance at her and, in a moment of dark humor, cocked an eyebrow.

"You finished?"

Her gruff, decidedly sexy voice, combined with the rebel attitude she subconsciously presented, was apparent to all in the courtyard and caused transfer Kuga Natsuki's cool factor (unbeknown-st to her) to sky rocket through the roof.

Several onlookers swooned.

Several more fell in love right then and there.

For her part the other girl (whose name Natsuki had forgotten as soon as she heard it) turned as red as a tomato and, after a few seconds of incomprehensible spluttering, launched into yet another tirade of righteous outrage, the center of which was directed at Natsuki.

Natsuki, unfazed by the ordeal (or so she would have everyone believe) took the opportunity to calmly stroll away, a sliver of a smile, grim in its satisfaction, tugging at the corners of her lips as she headed to her class- which she was now sure to be a good fifteen minutes late for, thanks to the hothead that had cornered her. As unconcerned as she was, she simply raised a hand in acknowledgment when the blond, finding her words once more, howled at her retreating form "DETENTION AFTER SCHOOL, DELINQUENT!" not even bothering to cast a look over her shoulder.

She pointedly ignored the stares thrown her direction (incredulous, swooning, awe-struck) as well as the whispers and blatant finger jabs- a less than subtle "look over there!" she'd have to be blind not to see. So far, Natsuki wasn't terribly impressed with what Fuka had to offer and was convinced, being the cynic she was, that it would only get worse.

She was half right.

*

"Ah, you must be the new transfer student. Did you get lost?"

Necks craned to catch a glimpse of the midnight haired beauty who stared unblinkingly at her new sensei, the both of them stationed at the front of the classroom. All were impressed with what they saw, whether they cared to admit it or not for Natsuki was unquestionably the type to impress.

Her hair was long and thick, a deep, almost navy blue that reached midway down her back. It framed a face that would, and had, broken many a heart. Sculpted facial bones and a proud jaw accompanied slender limbs that appeared deceptively soft, hiding the lean, sinewy muscle that lay underneath. It was her eyes that captivated them though. Brilliant, flashing in the light the most stunning, vibrant shade of emerald, they were impossible to ignore and dangerous to pay too much mind to. There was an almost feral quality to them, something restless that, while awe inspiring, was also meant to scare off the outsider... as it often did.

For a split second an all too clear picture of a screeching blond danced through Natsuki's mind before she chased it off with a vengeance.

"Something like that," she replied coolly, eyes sweeping over the students briefly in silent appraisal before they returned to her sensei, who appeared surprised by the intensity she saw in that green gaze. She coughed awkwardly, flustered, then gestured to the room at large.

"Well, go ahead and introduce yourself. Better late then never, ne?"

She tittered to herself, aware that she was babbling but unable to stop. The student before her was unlike any she'd encountered, harder somehow, and it made her nervous.

Natsuki didn't acknowledge the woman who managed to talk like an excited school girl except for a solemn nod, in the process allowing her new sensei a brief glimpse of the thin scar that ran across the left side of her otherwise smooth forehead and down the outside of her cheek before her hair covered it once more. Quietly she turned to her fellow students, stance unconsciously confrontational.

She took a breath, steeling nerves most were already convinced she didn't have, and began.

"Kuga, Natsuki," she said shortly, indicating herself with a simple jerk of her thumb and a careless flick of her hair. Captivated students, some with their mouths slightly agape and a dreamy sheen over their eyes, noted how it seemed to shimmer under the overhead lights, bringing out the bluish tint amongst the ebony. "Sixteen. Don't get in my way and I won't get in yours."

Silence greeted her statement and with a smirk Natsuki made her way over to the only empty seat she saw in the otherwise fully occupied room, inwardly thankful it was near the back. It would make sleeping in the class that much easier.

Her blunt introduction and the brusque tone with which she had spoken it (not to mention her level, unnerving stare) led to several students fidgeting anxiously in a suddenly strained atmosphere. Warily they eyed her as she prowled gracefully down the aisle and threw herself into her new seat, letting her shoulder bag fall to the floor with a casual thump before slumping at her desk, legs stretched ahead of her, hooded gaze bored once more.

No one what quite sure what to make of the transfer. Unnervingly beautiful, highly aloof, with eyes that were as liable to kill you as look at you… it was hard to know what to do with someone like that.

*

"Bitch," Yuuki Nao proclaimed in a low tone from the other side of the classroom once a shaken Yuko sensei had started up the algebra lesson again. The red head stared undauntedly at Natsuki, nervous whispers breaking out and slowly quieting into half mumbles and sideways glances as the class gradually found its rhythm once more. Throughout all of this the new girl simply continued to look at the blackboard indifferently, seemingly above it all, and Nao seized the opportunity give her a once over, lime eyes calculating.

Inwardly she was quite taken with what she saw, not that she would ever admit it.

"Loner," Chie fired back, her voice as equally hushed as her neighbor's as she pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose, the lenses flashing briefly. "You heard her didn't you? 'Don't get in my way and I won't get in yours'," she recited, doing her best to imitate Natsuki's slight growl... and failing miserably. Returning her voice to its normal soothing tone, the handsomely boyish girl added cheerfully, "that's a clear, back-the-fuck-off signal if I've ever heard one."

"Yeah, but only a bitch goes out of her way to say something like that," Nao argued, tearing her eyes from the new girl to smirk at her friend. "She probably thinks she's the best thing since sliced bread."

Chie was silent for a moment, contemplating. Then she frowned. "Maybe she's a bitchy loner? I doubt she's looking for attention."

She was thinking, in that moment, of Kuga's eyes- how cold they were. Those were not people friendly eyes, the young gossip thought.

Not in the slightest.

Nao snorted, waving her hand in dismissal. "Dressed like that?" she said skeptically. "She'd have to be an idiot to think she wouldn't stand out."

Both girls paused briefly as they reflected over Kuga's outfit. Black skinny jeans that hugged her body in all the right places, casually scruffy shoes that said 'I couldn't care less' and a dark blue, long sleeved top that left little to the imagination.

The transfer was _hot _and would have to be blind not to know it.

"Maybe she's just shy?"

Aoi's tentative suggestion, interrupting her companions' fantasies (Chie discretely wiping away a trail of drool that had dribbled down her chin) had the two turning to look at her with duel expressions of incredulity. Aoi, in response, miserably sunk down in her seat, feeling slightly idiotic. "Or maybe not."

*

She hated school. _Hated _it.

With everything she had and was, Kuga Natsuki loathed Fuka High and all that it stood for.

She hated the stares. She hated the whispers. She hated the mundane, droning voices of her teachers, the simplistic, monotonous routine of copying down assignments that were too easy to be of any interest and mind-numbingly boring to the point where the ice beauty half-mulled over the idea of committing seppuku. She hated being locked in different yet all too similar classrooms for hours on end, hated being around noisy, gossiping students, hated the crowded hallways and grossly under prepared cafeteria food and the complete pointlessness of it all.

Mostly, she hated being around people.

She was not used to it. Skin on skin contact, the humdrum of their chatter, the nondescript shoulders that occasionally brushed her own in the hallways- the unfamiliarity of it had her on edge, thin, scarred fingers ready to dive for the pocketknife she kept stashed in her back pocket to use at a moments notice. Her long lashed eyes constantly scanned the endless sea of orange and brown uniforms for hidden assailants, palms slick with sweat and shoulders tensed in preparation to dodge an incoming blow.

It was hell, and she hated it.

Over and over she had to remind herself of Yamada and her promise to keep a low profile. "_I'll only be gone for a few weeks," _he'd said. _"A couple of months at most. You can do this Natsuki, I know it."_

His steadfast belief in her, as well as the realization that she really had no choice in the matter (not if she didn't want to run into trouble with _him) _were the only things that kept Natsuki from exploding as the day wore on. Her mind rapidly went over fighting moves and, exhausting that, instructions on how to dissemble and reassemble her bike in an attempt to remain calm, distracting herself from the urge to sprint out the door and never come back.

_You can do this Natsuki, _she said to herself as she moved from class to class, increasingly harried and anxious. She went from practicing breathing exercises to sifting through complex formulas and equations her godfather had taught her, flicking through them so fervently many would be dazed at the speed of information she took in and rapidly discarded. _You are not weak,_ she had to remind herself repetitively, hands clenching and loosening, muscles tensing and then relaxing. _You can do this. _

Even if it was, quite possibly, one of the hardest things she'd ever had to do.

Even if she hated it.

*

Shizuru had heard the rumors. She wasn't a gossip but she certainly couldn't help it if the rest of the school was. She was also observant. So when she looked over the new "delinquent" Haruka had sent in, she was silently able to agree with the surprisingly accurate description of the "emerald-eyed ice princess" that had been circulating the halls.

Kuga Natsuki, she noted, was stunning. And she didn't hesitate to share her observations.

"Ara, so the rumors are true," she said, locking her fingers together and resting her chin upon them. She gazed at the girl before her thoughtfully, head tipped slightly to the side so that her tawny hair spilled over her shoulder in elegant waves.

_Beautiful, stand-offish and proud. _

Check, check, and check._  
_

Natsuki, busy staring into those piercing crimson eyes, initially didn't register what the student president had said. She'd been nervous about entering the council room (though of course she hadn't actually shown it) beyond relieved that the day was over but, at the same time, automatically tensed for the confrontation she was sure was bound to ensue during her detention, given the showy reception she'd received that morning. However, nerves had taken a backseat to her curiosity and slight awe as she saw, arguably, the most bewitching person she'd ever encountered.

_Her eyes are like blood, _was Natsuki's first thought upon meeting the third year, who she quickly discovered was none other that Fujino Shizuru, the student council president.

_Her eyes are like blood and her hair is honey._

Then she'd spoken and her voice, too, had been startlingly sweet. It had an accent, _kyoto ben, _Natsuki's astute mind had been quick to observe, as well as a thread of warmth that made it sound almost... sultry.

She was so busy thinking about the contradictions- _eyes, hair, voice _-that it took a moment for the actual question to compute.

She'd noted, with some amusement, the "ara" that the other girl had used, and was slightly intrigued by it, but brushed this aside as she took in what she decided was the president's initial attempt at addressing her.

_"So the rumors are true."_

Surprisingly, Natsuki, already infamous for being a tight-lipped, keeps-to-herself individual, said the first thing that came to her mind.

"What rumors?"

Her question was met with a smile.

*

Shizuru was strangely pleased by the situation. Usually she brushed aside detentions and her job of carrying them out, finding them, as a whole, boring and utterly pointless. What good did it do for her to watch students go about mundane tasks in the name of "justice" as Haruka and Midori sensei referred to it? It was much more effective, she found, if one simply hinted that if a repetition of said transgression were to occur she, as president, would be forced to make a mark on the highly dreaded permanent record. In reality Shizuru was just too lazy to really look forward to holding up the school rules and was thus generally known to let things slide (and hey, being labeled kind hearted in the process was simply an unexpected bonus).

However in this case, Shizuru could honestly say that she was glad she'd accepted Haruka's demand to "do something about that insufferable girl!" (initially ungut-able, until Yukino had corrected her). She'd been intrigued at the idea of a transfer student, one who'd already accumulated such a reputation, getting a detention on the first day- though then again since Haruka had given it to her, maybe it wasn't so strange after all. Still, she was glad for the opportunity to interact with the enigma that was Kuga Natsuki. It saved her from the boredom that was dealing with student council business, if nothing else.

Well, the kyoto ben acknowledged, it did seem somehow fitting that someone as beautiful as Kuga Natsuki- _dangerously beautiful_ -had a decidedly haunting voice to match.

Her smile widened then, white, even teeth flashing briefly in a pleasant grin as she lightly answered;

"That you are beautiful."

The blush that followed was unexpected, both on Natsuki and Shizuru's part. The former scolded herself for it, mad at having such an obvious (if bewildering) reaction to what she was sure was simple teasing on her behalf, while the latter felt a noticeable internal reaction- a lurching in the pit of her stomach -that took her by surprise.

It had been a long time since she'd been physically attracted to... well, anyone, though inwardly Shizuru commended herself on her taste, even if she had no plans on acting on it.

_Natsuki would be anyone's idea of a fine catch._

Blinking away her slight surprise, Shizuru unlaced her fingers and calmly set them on her desk.

"Ara, Kuga san looks lovely in red. And blue," she added as an afterthought, appraising Natsuki's outfit and giving it a mental two thumbs up. "However, it is not in accordance with the school uniform, something I believe Haruka pointed out earlier."

Not that Shizuru gave a damn about dress code. It did, however, give her an excuse to shamelessly flirt with the transfer... an opportunity the third year was more than willing to seize.

Ruby eyes twinkled playfully as they awaited Natsuki's response.

Natsuki, to her horror, flushed even further, all too aware of the back of her neck and the sudden heat that covered it. Visibly (if uncharacteristically) flustered she huffed and crossed her arms, head turning away from the president's observant gaze in an attempt to hide her mortified expression. "I wasn't given a uniform yet," she bit out, letting a thread of frustration enter her voice, "so any dress code issues lay with the school, don't you think?"

Shizuru, delighted by the transfer's defiant spirit- _I think we are going to get along just fine, Kuga san_ -merely tapped her chin. "Duly noted," she agreed. "One can hardly blame another for their own faults, I suppose. The same can be said for Haruka's rather, how to put it... _flamboyant_ charge of tardiness. There were, after all, several eye witness accounts of our very own vice president standing in the courtyard, loudly berating the new student and holding her up from finding her class."

Again, Shizuru flashed a smile.

"Wouldn't you agree, Natsuki?"

Natsuki blinked, startled, before allowing a blank expression to fall over her face. "It's Kuga," she quietly reminded the older girl, posture stiff once more. "And I don't care either way. Just tell me what to do so I can go."

The change in demeanor was quite startling. It was hard for Shizuru to believe from the stony eyes that were now staring coolly at her, all but emotionless, that this was the same girl who had been blushing only moments before. It played more to the rumors she had been hearing but was, to the young Fujino, oddly disappointing.

"My apologies," she said after a moment, matching Natsuki's solemn tone. "I have a tendency to go too far with my teasing. A weakness of mine that needs remedying."

Abruptly she stood, noting with some surprise the other girl's automatic shift backward as she did so. Those stunningly green eyes, for an instant, flashed wildly before they resumed their normal bored look. It caused Shizuru to pause. It seemed almost to her as if the blue haired girl was preparing for an escape... which seemed faintly ridiculous, for what, exactly, would she be escaping from?

Brushing it off, Shizuru finished straightening. "As earlier mentioned the fault lies, in this instance, with the school, and I am more than willing- no, obligated -as president, to overlook it. However, there is one thing, if I may be so bold, that I'd like you to consider."

Natsuki was tired. The day had worn away what little defenses she had erected and she'd allowed herself, as a result, to show emotion to this strange, red-eyed girl. She'd recovered- eventually -but the sooner she left the better. Her exhausted mind no longer retained the energy to dance with the silver tongued words of the elegant president and the confusing reactions she managed to elicit from her.

So as wary as she was she agreed to the other girl's demand with a defeated sigh. "What?"

Shizuru, in response, allowed herself a small smile of triumph before proceeding.

"Kuga san," she began. "If you run into any problems, no matter how small or large you might consider them... Please, come to me." Her red eyes quietly met Natsuki's emerald ones, gazes locking in on each other, as she softly continued. "Whatever troubles you, whatever might weigh on you... feel free to burden me with it."

When Shizuru stopped, finished with what she had to say, even she was surprised by the quiet intensity that entered her voice- that edge of pleading. She was Fujino Shizuru, student council president, known for being calm, held together, and, all in all, an admirable individual. She did not, as a rule, do desperate. Yet here she was, practically begging the other girl to let her in.

It puzzled her beyond reason, even if she too did not show it.

Natsuki, equally stunned, only stared at her for a long, tense moment. She was surprised and yet, at those words, had unknowingly relaxed. It was as if her body already knew what her mind did not; that Fujino Shizuru was someone she could trust.

Finally, head reeling, mentally and physically exhausted from the metaphorical meat grinder she had been put through all day, she gave a curt nod.

"Fine," Natsuki acquiesced, even if she had no intention of following through with her promise. Then, with one last look at the perplexing brunette, she turned and walked out of the room, aware of a strange dryness in her mouth and a slight thrumming in her chest.

What she wasn't aware of, however, was the smile that graced the face of the beauty she had left behind, nor the slightly calculating look in her crimson eyes. One that promised that their brief encounter was far from being their last...

* * *

**Whew, and so it ends- or begins, however you want to look at it. Feel free to review (which means, please do :3).**

**Just for clarification- I changed around the ages of some characters. Nao is older- 17 -while Natsuki is younger, just turned 16 but has skipped a grade. She's also in some advanced classes. This Natsuki is quite smart and due to the fact that she has been home schooled for a number of years, is ahead of the pack.**

**Anyway, stick around, the third chapter will come... though probably not as quickly as the last two. Sorry!  
**


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